Netflix's 'Tiger King' tiger undergoes groundbreaking eye surgery by UC Davis

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(FOX40.COM) — A rare white Bengal tiger that was rescued by the U.S. government from a property associated with the Netflix series “Tiger King” recently underwent groundbreaking eye surgery in Tuolumne County, according to UC Davis Veterinary Medicine.

Falcor, an 11-year-old and 412-pound white Bengal tiger, was one of the 68 tigers that was seized from a private zoo in Oklahoma owned by Jeff and Lauren Lowe of the “Tiger King” series.

In 2021, Falcor was brought to the 2,300-acre Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) sanctuary in San Andreas.

In March, the PAWS staff overseeing Falcor noticed a small tumor beginning to grow along his lower left eyelid.

This was not the first mass that had grown on Falcor’s face, as a soft tissue sarcoma mass was removed from his left eye in 2023 by PAWS medical staff.

“Since then, we always pay close attention to Falcor’s face, in particular,” said Dr. Jackie Gai PAWS director of veterinary services. “So, his caretakers noticed right away when a dark melanotic mass started growing on his right eyelid.”

Dr. Lauren Charnock with UC Davis Veterinary Medicine was brought onto the surgery team for Falcor given her skill and knowledge with cutting-edge laser technology surgeries.

Charnock got hands-on experience with the technology during her ophthalmology residency at Auburn University, according to UC Davis.

The surgery took place in Falcor’s enclosure to reduce the amount of time the tiger would need to be under anesthesia.

A combined medical team from PAWS and UC Davis Veterinary Medicine carried out the surgery, which lasted for 75 minutes.

Falcor underwent a photodynamic therapy, which UC Davis says they have performed on horses, dogs, cats and other species to remove cancer around the eye in most cases.

“Typically, the tumor is first surgically removed, as was done with Falcor. Then, a specific photo-sensitive dye is injected into the surgical site,” UC Davis wrote about the surgery. “The dye has therapeutic properties that are activated by the laser, which emits a particular light wavelength. The laser procedure creates an immediate scab that protects the area from infection, attempts to target and kill remaining cancer cells, and “seals” the surgery site without requiring sutures.”

UC Davis and PAWS say that the surgery was a success and that Falcor will continue to be monitored throughout his recovery.

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Matthew Nobert

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